Psalm 97-99

Common English Bible

Psalm 97

97 The Lord rules! Let the earth rejoice!
    Let all the islands celebrate!
²Clouds and thick darkness surround God.
    His throne is built on righteousness and justice.
³Fire proceeds before him,
    burning up his enemies on every side.
⁴His lightning lights up the world;
    the earth sees it and trembles!
⁵The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of the whole world!

⁶Heaven has proclaimed God’s righteousness,
    and all nations have seen his glory.
⁷All those who worship images,
    those who are proud of idols,
    are put to shame.
    All gods bow down to the Lord!
⁸Zion has heard and celebrates,
    the towns^[a] of Judah rejoice,
    because of your acts of justice, Lord,
⁹    because you, Lord, are the Most High
        over all the earth,
    because you are so superior to all other gods.

¹⁰Those of you who love the Lord, hate evil!
    God guards the lives of his faithful ones,
    delivering them from the power of the wicked.
¹¹Light is planted like seed for the righteous person;
    joy too for those whose heart is right.
¹²Rejoice in the Lord, righteous ones!
    Give thanks to his holy name!

Psalm 98

A psalm.

98 Sing to the Lord a new song
    because he has done wonderful things!
His own strong hand and his own holy arm
    have won the victory!
²The Lord has made his salvation widely known;
    he has revealed his righteousness
    in the eyes of all the nations.
³God has remembered his loyal love
    and faithfulness to the house of Israel;
    every corner of the earth has seen our God’s salvation.

⁴Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!
    Be happy!
    Rejoice out loud!
    Sing your praises!
⁵Sing your praises to the Lord with the lyre—
    with the lyre and the sound of music.
⁶With trumpets and a horn blast,
    shout triumphantly before the Lord, the king!
⁷Let the sea and everything in it roar;
    the world and all its inhabitants too.
⁸Let all the rivers clap their hands;
    let the mountains rejoice out loud altogether ⁹before the Lord
    because he is coming to establish justice on the earth!
He will establish justice in the world rightly;
    he will establish justice among all people fairly.

Psalm 99

99 The Lord rules—
    the nations shake!
    He sits enthroned on the winged heavenly creatures—
    the earth quakes!
²The Lord is great in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the nations.
³Let them thank your great and awesome name.
    He is holy!

⁴Strong king^[b] who loves justice,
    you are the one who established what is fair.
    You worked justice and righteousness in Jacob.
⁵Magnify the Lord, our God!
    Bow low at his footstool!
    He is holy!
⁶Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
    Samuel too among those who called on his name.
They cried out to the Lord, and he himself answered them—
⁷    he spoke to them from a pillar of cloud.
They kept the laws and the rules God gave to them.
⁸Lord our God, you answered them.
    To them you were a God who forgives
    but also the one who avenged their wrong deeds.
⁹Magnify the Lord our God!
    Bow low at his holy mountain
    because the Lord our God is holy!